Viva cruising! Norwegian Cruise Line's 2nd new ship in a year debuts in Europe
Make that 19 ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.
The world's fourth-biggest cruise brand Thursday unveiled yet another new vessel, Norwegian Viva, bringing its fleet size to 19 ships — the most it has operated in its 56-year history.
Built at a shipyard near Venice, Italy, the 3,100-passenger vessel will depart late Thursday from Trieste, Italy, on its first voyage with paying passengers. The nine-night, one-way sailing to Lisbon, Portugal, will include stops in Italy, France and Spain.
Norwegian Viva is the second ship in Norwegian's long-awaited Prima class of vessels, which has been in development since 2017. The first ship in the series, Norwegian Prima, debuted almost exactly a year ago.
Norwegian has ordered a total of six Prima-class vessels from the giant Fincantieri shipbuilding firm in Italy. The next four ships in the series are scheduled to be completed between 2025 and 2027.
Related: The 8 types of Norwegian cruise ships, explained
The rollout of the Prima-class series is destined to massively expand Norwegian's footprint in the cruise business and, if all goes according to plan, significantly transform the brand. As recently as a year ago, the line only operated 17 vessels worldwide. Assuming it doesn't retire any of its older ships over the next few years, it will grow to 23 ships by 2027 with the addition of the six Prima-class vessels.
That's a 35% increase in its fleet size in just five years.
At 143,535 tons, Norwegian Viva and the 1-year-old Norwegian Prima are notably smaller than the vessels Norwegian added to its fleet during the 2010s. The line's last new ship before the Prima-class series began debuting, the 2019-built Norwegian Encore, was about 18% bigger than Norwegian Prima at 169,116 tons.
Norwegian executives have said the smaller size of the Prima-class ships would give the line more options in designing itineraries, as the vessels would be able to access smaller ports than some of the bigger Norwegian ships can.
That said, the line recently announced that the next four ships in the series would be bigger than the first two ships.
Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line
Like its sister Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva packs a lot of over-the-top amenities onto its top decks, despite its smaller size, including a go-kart track that spreads over three decks. Norwegian first put a go-kart track on a ship in 2017 and now has them on five vessels. Dismissed as gimmicky at first by some cruise writers, Norwegian's go-kart tracks have proven to be huge hits with families, a big market for the line.
Norwegian Viva also boasts The Rush and The Drop, 10-story dry slides aimed at families. The slides are touted as creating more G-force than an accelerating Formula One racecar.
Additionally, Norwegian Viva is home to an innovative, three-deck theater with movable seats that allow it to convert into a Las Vegas-style nightclub. The versatile space will be home to a 90-minute adaptation of Broadway's Tony Award-nominated "Beetlejuice The Musical" — a new show for Norwegian.
Related: Norwegian cruise ships ranked from biggest to smallest
The theater also can be configured to become a venue for interactive, real-life game shows, including an at-sea version of "Press Your Luck,"
Like Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva's design will mark a more upscale turn for the line. Both ships in the new series offer an unusually large variety of suite categories (13) and the largest three-bedroom suites of any new cruise vessel. They also have the brand's largest-ever inside, ocean-view and balcony cabins.
Among other standout features, the Prima-class ships are billed as having the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship, including more total pool deck space than any other ship in the Norwegian fleet.
Norwegian Viva will initially sail in the Mediterranean before repositioning to Galveston, Texas, for winter sailings to the Caribbean. Fares start at $699 per person, not including taxes and fees, for a seven-night Caribbean sailing out of Galveston.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your 1st cruise
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.